Dhoni Takes Responsibility as CSK Fall Short in Last-Over Thriller Against RCB

In a nail-biting contest at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fell just two runs short of victory, with captain MS Dhoni taking the blame for the defeat. Chasing 214, CSK needed 15 off the last over and 35 off the final three. Dhoni, who joined Ravindra Jadeja in the 17th over, managed a six in the 19th but was dismissed LBW by Yash Dayal in the final over, leaving his side with too much to do. Despite a valiant attempt from Impact Player Shivam Dube, who launched his first ball for six, CSK couldn’t close it out.

Reflecting on the loss, Dhoni admitted that his inability to convert key deliveries contributed to the outcome. “Looking at that over, I felt I should have converted maybe a couple more shots to ease the pressure. I take the blame for it,” he said in the post-match presentation. While CSK did well to pull things back earlier in the RCB innings, the final two overs were disastrous, with Romario Shepherd smashing a whirlwind 53* off just 14 balls, including six sixes. His explosive finish saw RCB add 54 runs in the last two overs.

Dhoni praised Shepherd’s finishing ability and acknowledged CSK’s shortcomings in bowling during the death overs. “Romario Shepherd was brilliant. Whatever our bowlers tried, he was able to get maximum runs. We need to improve our execution of yorkers, especially in high-pressure situations,” Dhoni explained. He emphasized that bowlers like Matheesha Pathirana must adapt when yorkers fail by mixing up their pace and deliveries to keep batters guessing.

Yash Dayal, who bowled the crucial final over, was once again the hero for RCB. Having defended 14 runs under immense pressure, Dayal earned high praise from RCB’s batting coach Dinesh Karthik. “It takes a humongous effort to deliver under such pressure, especially with a dew-soaked ball. Yash did it again, just like he did last year,” Karthik said. He lauded Dayal’s work ethic, preparation, and ability to stay composed in crunch moments.

With this win, RCB soared to the top of the points table while CSK continued to struggle, raising questions about whether this might be their most challenging IPL season yet.